Lights in the Dark
by Sapphire Starlight Pony
Summary: Glendale, a small town in northern Equestria, fights for its survival against an onslaught of monsters as an ancient legend, forgotten for centuries, awakens on the frozen crown of the world.  Working Title  TWO CHAPTERS UPLOADED AT ONCE THIS TIME
1. Chapter 1: The Refugee

Chapter 1

The Refugee

Night had come, but it failed to bring the usual blanket of peace over the land. Town hall was alive with activity. Lights shone bright, music sang through the cool night air, and laughter was its chorus on the wind. The party had spilled out into the square. Everything was perfect. At least, that's how it should have been. Festivities had been cut tragically short.

A wounded gryphon, struggling to keep the wind beneath him, had crash landed in the middle of the festivities, pleading for rescue. They'd taken him away nearly an hour ago, and no one had heard anything since. Everyone had come together in the town hall, waiting for the mayor to comment. He was unavailable. His assistant was desperately trying to keep everyone calm. She'd tried briefly to reignite the fall harvest festivities, but it was a fruitless effort. Instead she'd begun encouraging everyone to go home, the mayor would be back in the morning.

Meanwhile in Glensdale tower, a meeting had begun to discuss the turn of events. The most prominent ponies in the town were gathered together.

"I know it's very late," mayor Fleethoof said, immediately bringing the speculative chatter to an end. "but thank you for coming," he added. A soft aura of light surrounded his horn, and a smooth stone with the mayor's mark carved into it lifted from its resting place in the center of the table. Emberwind leaped onto the table and pinned the stone back down with her hoof. Surprised, Fleethoof and a few others took a quick step back.

"Do we have a status on the gryphon?" the pegasus asked. Her pelt was soft white and her mane and tail were a medley of oranges reds and yellows like the fireball mark that adorned her flanks.

"Miss Emberwind if you would please wait your turn," Fleethoof said, indignant.

Sapphire Starlight smirked. She, like the others, had been waiting for the better part of an hour. She had many questions, none of which she could voice without taking possession of the mayor's silencing stone. While it had accomplished little, she admired Emberwind's tenacity. Fleethoof seemed to catch the hint of a snort of laughter and shot Sapphire a look of warning.

"His name is Ironfeather," Fleethoof said at last. The stone floated up into the air, away from Emberwind. "He's still in the infirmary but as soon as the doctors have him stabilized enough they're going to bring him up here to speak with us.

Sapphire frowned. She called the stone toward her, but at the last minute it swerved away and rested on the table before Morning Rain.

"Do we know what got ahold of him?" the light blue Pegasus asked.

"Wolven," Fleethoof said. "They live even further north than the gryphons. I doubt they'd ever come as far south as Glensdale, even in light of the coming winter."

Sapphire tried to summon the stone away from Rain, but it was swept away at the last minute by Light's Hope. Sapphire glared at the sunflower colored unicorn with the symbol of the sun rising between two mountains on his flank. Rude!

"If you're not worried, why bring us all here at this late of an hour?" Light asked.

"Preparedness," Fleethoof said. "And we didn't want anyone to worry."

Sapphire rolled her eyes. She was fairly certain that whisking away over half a dozen prominent ponies to a secret meeting in the middle of the night was not helping the 'don't worry' argument the mayor was presenting. A quick glance out the southern window at the crowds gathered in front of town hall was evidence enough of that. Emberwind snorted her frustration.

The light purple earth pony seated next to Light's Hope snatched the silencing stone away from him.

"Yes, Autumn Song?" Fleethoof asked.

"Preparedness for what exactly?" she asked. "Is there reason to believe the wolven might be planning something?"

"We really won't know until Ironfeather gets here," Fleethoof said. Emberwind stamped a hoof in frustration. Rain waved to Autumn for the stone. She tossed it toward the pegasus, but it never arrived. Sapphire had sprung upon it, tackling it to the ground. Now all eyes were fixed on the white unicorn with a blue silhouette of a dragon soaring over a sapphire on her flank.

Not one to be cowed by attention, Sapphire shook off the stares and blew a lock of her bright blue mane from in front of her eyes.

"Miss Starlight! Control yourself," Fleethoof snapped.

"This is ridiculous," Sapphire shot back. "We're standing around waiting for something to happen. We should send some pegasus ponies up north to investigate immediately. Furthermore if we can't have any productive discussion until Ironfeather arrives lets go to the infirmary where he is rather than waiting here until someone decides he's well enough to drag up 70 feet of stairs."

"Are you quite finished?" Fleethoof asked. Sapphire's eyes narrowed. One quick tap with her horn and the silencing stone was frozen in a block of ice. She nudged it sharply with her nose and sent it sliding off the edge of the table. There was a quiet thud as it landed on the ground that Sapphire found quite satisfying.

"I've had quite enough of that thank you," she said, then hopped down from the table.

"She's got a point you know," Emberwind chimed in. Light's Hope nodded his agreement.

"I'll go see if Ironfeather is well enough to be woken up," Autumn Song said, heading for the door. "I'll be quick."

"So it's settled then," Emberwind said, stretching her wings. "I'll fly up north and see what the wolven are up to. Rain are you coming?"

"Uh, I'm not quite sure," she said, looking to Mayor Fleethoof for feedback.

"No," he said. "Winter is coming and we need our weather crew at top efficiency. I'm not particularly satisfied with the headmistress of the flight school running off on her own either. Surely the two of you can put together a team to investigate without going yourselves."

"Hey what about Dawn Chaser and his crew?" Rain offered.

"I'm not sure," Emberwind said. "Aren't they your most veteran crew?"

"Yes but its only early winter right now. And there's ten rookies that applied to join straight out of flight school. Surely the ten of them can handle one three pony squad's work for a few days."

"Wonderful, excellent," Fleethoof said. "Scouts will be dispatched, the snow will arrive as scheduled, and the flight school will run smoothly."

Sapphire chuckled. Nothing seemed to bring the mayor more pleasure than a well organized plan. She wouldn't say he was in a good mood then, but at the least he had stopped glaring at her. She used a bit of magic to push the frozen silencing stone under the table, out of sight, just to make sure he stayed that way.

Soon the meeting had reconvened in the infirmary without the two pegasus ponies. Ironfeather was awake, but not particularly lucid. He had a nasty gash across his left eye, and bandages wrapped about all but one of his legs. Feathers were strewn about the room haphazardly.

"What's with all the feathers?" Autumn asked. "Those weren't here when I was just in here a few minutes ago."

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid we had to cauterize the wound on his flank," Doctor Rosebloom said. "The doctor didn't think there was time to mix more anesthetic or fetch a unicorn."

Sapphire winced at the sight of the cauterized gash. "Is there anyone else on staff right now?" she asked.

"Just one nurse In the back, mixing up some medicine. I really should join her, gryphon medicine can be tricky," she said. The red earth pony excused herself and vanished into other parts of the infirmary.

"Well, now what?" Song asked.

"We wait for Dawn Chaser to get back or Ironfeather to wake up," Sapphire said.

"That's right," Fleethoof said. "In the meantime it's important to carry on with our normal day to day duties and responsibilities."

Everyone began to file out of the infirmary. Sapphire lagged behind.

"Are you coming?" Light asked, holding the door for her.

"I'm going to stay and help the doctor make something for Ironfeather's pain."

"Alright," Light said.

"If you see Emberwind, please have her meet me back at the tower. I should be there in a couple hours at most."

"Don't stay up too late ok?" Light asked.

"…okay," Sapphire conceded. "Tell her to meet me there in the morning then."

Light smiled. "Of course," he said, and left.

Morning came much too soon. Sapphire Starlight woke to the sun shining directly upon her face. Her forelock hung across her eyes as she stumbled from the bed and made her way groggily to the window. It was no surprise to find a pair of young pegasus flitting about just outside. No doubt they'd confused the cloud she'd placed over her window with something that was wont for removing. It was their first day on the job, Sapphire assumed, and simply waved when the two darted past.

A hot shower scalded away the grogginess of a long night. There would be little time for grooming though. A quick wash and a brush through her mane was all the time she could spare before Emberwind arrived. A ring of the doorbell heralded the fiery-maned pegasus's arrival. Sapphire hurried out to the balcony and looked down at her guest far below.

"I'm up here!" she called down. Emberwind quickly joined her on the balcony.

"Good morning," Sapphire said as Emberwind landed gracefully and folded her wings.

"Morning," Emberwind said, yawning.

"Long night?" Sapphire asked.

"Early morning," she answered. Her ears drooped subtly.

"I guess.. Dawn Chaser and his crew left for their mission?" Sapphire asked.

Emberwind nodded slowly.

"He'll be back before you know it. He's fast and strong, I'm sure he'll be alright."

"Yeah, I know," Emberwind said. "Anyway, he's got his job to do, we've got ours. Let's just get to work okay?"

"Sure," Sapphire said. "Breakfast first?"

"Not very hungry," Emberwind said. Sapphire frowned, wishing the same was true of her. She grabbed an apple from the kitchen and wolfed it down on the way up to the observatory.

"So what's the plan?" Emberwind asked.

"Remember that book I ordered a few weeks ago?" Sapphire asked.

"Not… really…?" Emberwind said.

"Well it arrived yesterday afternoon before the party. I haven't had a real chance to go through it mind you," Sapphire said.

"Sapphire I'm hoping really, really hard that there's a 'but,' here," Emberwind said. "Cause if you think I'm gonna spend another afternoon pacing around the observatory while you read all day you've got another thing coming."

"No no of course not," Sapphire said, blushing. She was still sore about that? It'd been practically a week.

"I'm just saying, you can get a little carried away sometimes."

Yup, still sour.

"This time is different," she said. "There's a spell in it I want to try."

Emberwind flicked her tail sharply once. Sapphire could tell she was not convinced.

Half an hour later, Emberwind and Sapphire were hoof-deep in snow. It was falling from a billowing cloud that filled much of the high ceilinged observatory. Sapphire beamed with pride.

"Sapphire… is this another book on dragon magic…?" Emberwind asked, prodding at the cover.

"Miiight be," Sapphire sang, dancing through the snow. "aaand this one's real!"

"Well this is all really nice and all, but considering that it's supposed to be snowing within a week, maybe we should work on something a little less…. You.. ish?"

"I know I know, I'm sorry, just it was the only thing in the book I thought I could knock out in an hour," she said. "Plus it will be great this summer. The book listed over a dozen food plants alone that need snow to grow."

"Like?"

"Snow peas, frostberries, ice lilies, arctic nettles, iceberg lettuce…"

Emberwind's ears drooped as her face took on an expression of bewilderment. "Sapphire, iceberg lettuce doesn't need to grow in the winter."

"…misty corn, strawberries, all kinds of mints," Sapphire continued without missing a beat.

"That's all well and good, but do you have any tricks to clean this up? The entire observatory is buried in snow."

"Uh…"

"Sapphire…"

"Right right," she said, "just… let me think a second…" a nervous chuckle implied that she didn't.

Emberwind chuckled. "Look, I'll take care of this. You're probably still starving. Leave the weather stuff to the expert and get some breakfast. Then we'll go check on Ironfeather, kay?"

Sapphire's stomach growled. "I guess that's a yes."

After a much more filling breakfast, Sapphire reunited with Emberwind at the hospital. "Ready?" she asked, trotting up to the desk.

"We better hurry," Emberwind said. "Fleethoof's been in there over an hour."

Sapphire's eyes widened. "He didn't send for us?" she asked, stamping a hoof in frustration. The nurse suddenly seemed to take notice of them.

"Oh, are you here about the gryphon?" she asked.

"Yes, didn't Rosebloom tell you I would be here?" Sapphire asked. "I was up half the night conjuring up his medication."

"Oh I'm sorry. Rosebloom went home before I got here. Ironfeather is doing well though. You're welcome to go back and see him."

"Thanks," Sapphire said as she hurried by.

Ironfeather's room was back in order. All the feathers had been swept up and his bandages had been changed and cleaned. The young gryphon was sprawled on his side on the bed still, but his eyes were wide open and bright with alertness and focus.

"Ah, good, you've arrived," Fleethoof said. "Ironfeather, this is Emberwind and Sapphire Starlight. They assisted in your treatment last night."

The gryphon lifted his head and studied the two newcomers for a moment. "Sorry, I don't remember either of you. I had a nasty crash you see," he explained.

"Oh we were there," Sapphire said.

"Not bad for how torn up you are," Emberwind said.

Ironfeather managed a half-hearted chuckle. Landing gracefully with injured wings was not an art he cared to perfect, merely to survive.

"I'm sure you're very tired," Sapphire said, trying very hard to check her curiosity with a healthy dose of empathy. "But if you could fill us in a little on the details of how you got here and how you got hurt so badly it would really help us figure out what we ought to be doing, aside from getting you back in one piece."

"There were wolven, dozens of them, hiding beneath the snow in our winter hunting grounds. They burst from the ground and took our entire pride by surprise. Everyone was killed or captured. I may be the only one to have escaped," he added somberly.

"I've read all about them," Sapphire said.

"You have?" Emberwind asked, eyes wide in disbelief.

"Yes, they're half wolf, half dragon," she explained. "They usually live in the glacial mountains up north. They're very dangerous, but they've got plenty of access to food in the mountains."

"Ah, dragon hybrids. Suddenly I'm not nearly as surprised," Emberwind said, chuckling. "You're in luck Ironfeather, you've found our local expert."

"We do hunt in the mountains," Ironfeather said, "but never far enough north to encounter the wolven."

"Never?" Sapphire asked. "You've never seen one at all?"

"Never," Ironfeather repeated.

"Is that important?" Fleethoof asked.

"It might be," Sapphire said. "Maybe something drove the wolven out of their own lands?"

"Or maybe they just invaded unprovoked," Emberwind said.

"This is distressing news," the mayor said. "There's much to think about before we decide to act."

"We should work on our defenses," Sapphire said, frowning. "And we should get a message to Dawn Chaser warning him about the wolven. When his squad gets back we'll know more about what we're up against."

"They are many," Ironfeather warned. "If you've sent scouts…"

Emberwind looked at Sapphire with pleading, worried eyes.

"They'll be fine," Sapphire said quickly. "I'll go get Light's Hope to get a message to them now."

In a flash of magic she was gone. Startled by the display, Ironfeather nearly tumbled from his bed, barely saving himself by flaring his wings to steady himself.

"Relax, please calm down," Fleethoof pleaded.

"Apparently you've never seen a unicorn teleport before," Emberwind said.

"It is not a sort of magic I am familiar with," Ironfeather said, taking a moment to clear his throat. He was quick to regain his composure.

"It's alright, it's not something we're familiar with either," Emberwind said. "It's a difficult feat. Out of our entire town only she and Light's Hope can handle it."

"Really?" Ironfeather asked.

"Yes, they've both got a lot of talent, and the work ethic to develop it into something really unique. Magic ability among unicorns varies from pony to pony just as much as flight skill varies among gryphons and pegasus."

"I imagine you are correct, miss…Emberwind was it?" Ironfeather asked.

"Yes," Emberwind said.

"Would it be possible to see more of your town? If you'll have me, I think I will be staying with you for some time. At the very least until I can reunite with my pride."

The mayor's eyes brightened. "Of course, of course, we are more than happy to take you in. Glensdale has always had a very bright outlook on our relationship with the local gryphon pride."

"Thank you," Ironfeather said, bowing his head.

"I'll go check with the doctor and see if he thinks you're good to go," Emberwind said, and galloped off in search of him.


	2. Chapter 2: Ironfeather Awakens

Chapter 2

Ironfeather Awakens

Sapphire appeared on the well-worn road through town, just in front of the home of Light's Hope. A brief flicker of bright white light was the only warning others had of her imminent arrival. A small crowd scattered away

"Sorry, excuse me," she called back as she galloped up the path to the door. She pounded on it with both hooves.

"Light, Light it's an emergency!" she shouted. The door swung open, glowing briefly with the subtle aura of Light's magic.

"What's the matter Sapphire?" Light asked, hurrying into the front room to meet her.

"Dawn Chaser and the others, we need to get them a message. They're about to fly right into an invading army's camp. The entire gryphon pride got wiped out by monsters and I can't remember the sending spell."

"Come with me, I've got the crystals we'll need upstairs," he said, hurrying up ahead of her. Sapphire heaved a sigh of relief as she fell in step behind the yellow unicorn. Crystal magic, that explained why she couldn't remember how to do it. Crystal magic had always been Light's forte, not hers. Not that it wasn't an interest, but there were so many other fields to study already.

"Ironfeather says there are many of them, several dozen at least. Enough to subdue an entire gryphon pride. They've taken to hiding in the snow drifts to ambush their prey."

"I will pass that on to Dawn Chaser," Light said. He floated several crystals to the center of the room where a much larger white crystal waited.

"It's a science," he said, carefully placing each of the smaller gems. Each began to softly glow as it was added to the pattern. Once they'd all been arranged he closed his eyes to focus. Sapphire took a few steps back to give him space.

"This will be loud," he warned. He placed one hoof against the white crystal at the pattern's center. Suddenly his voice boomed through the room though it seemed to come from nowhere. The birds on the windowsill scattered. Sapphire found herself backed against the wall with her ears pinned back from the onslaught of sound. Fortunately it proved to be as brief as it was loud.

"You were right," Sapphire said, trying to steady her senses.

"Dawn Chaser has your message," Light said. "For the moment, it seems that he and his team are safe and intact."

"Do you know where they are?" Sapphire asked.

"I am afraid not," he said.

"But you're sure they're okay?"

"Yes," he said. "I made contact with Dawn Chaser. I couldn't sense any fear in him, nor grief."

"Good, Emberwind will be relieved. I think we'll all feel a lot better once everyone is back home and safe," Sapphire said.

"Are we safe? It sounds like we are not," Light said.

"Perhaps not," Sapphire said, ears drooping.

"Now now," Light said warmly. "Do not despair. We know of the threat. When the time comes, and it will, Glendale can defend itself."

"…war? Will it really come to it?" she asked.

"I believe so," Light said. Sapphire frowned. She'd hoped something so… extreme, could be avoided.

"Surely there's got to be a way we can pre-empt this," she said.

"You know as well as I that peace with the wolven is not an option," Light said. "There are other ways to prevent war though."

"That would mean finding a way to send the wolven back home," Sapphire said, "and that means finding out why they were driven out in the first place."

"Monsters do not need a reason Sapphire," Light warned.

"Everything needs a reason," she said. "Why leave home if everything you need is right there?"

"Okay, so why would the wolven leave their home?" Light asked. Sapphire wasn't sure. She hated how serene Light seemed about it. She could never tell if he already knew the answers to the questions he asked, or if he was just not bothered by not knowing.

"Any number of reasons," she said. "They could be migrating in search of food, water, or to escape harsh conditions. Like birds flying south for the winter."

"These are savage creatures," Light said. "Savage creatures from a harsh climate," he added. "Whatever forced them out must be quite impressive."

"This means we need another mission," Sapphire said, hanging her head. "We can't risk sending Dawn Chaser in there to take a look without knowing more about what we're up against."

"I agree," Light said. "For now we should concentrate on our defenses and wait to hear back from the pegasus squadron. Then we can plan a more substantial expedition. The gryphon should prove invaluable."

"Yes, you're right, as always," Sapphire said. "Thank you for sending the message. I'm sure Emberwind is grateful as well. She would have come herself if it were not for the urgency."

"I understand," Light said. "I suggest you return to her before she spends more time worrying about the welfare of her mate."

"Of course, thanks again," she said, and vanished into thin air once more. She found the hospital abandoned. She huffed in frustration. There was no telling where they'd gone. For a moment she wanted to scold them for leaving without her, but she quickly remembered she'd never told them to expect her return. Using all that magic to teleport back had been unwise, and the exertion was quickly taking its toll on the young unicorn.

Nearly an hour later, Morning Rain found her asleep, head resting on the table next to a plate of food at the café next door.

"Sapphire are you okay? You don't look so good," Rain said, eyeing Sapphire.

Sapphire mumbled a quiet protest and tried to shake the sleep from her eyes. She looked down at the untouched sandwich she didn't remember ordering.

"Yeah, I'm fine, sorry, what time is it?" she asked groggily.

"Only midday," Rain said. "Sapphire how late were you awake last night?"

"Late… got up early," she mumbled. She hoped the sandwich was hers, because she was eating it.

"Yeah you shouldn't do that," Rain said. "Magic can get unstable if you get too tired you know."

Sapphire shot her a warning glance. She was not in the mood for a lecture. Too much magic, not enough sleep, that was obvious already. She looked up from her snack. Rain was still there with a very stern look on her face.

"I know," Sapphire said, hoping that would appease her. No such luck.

"So why are you here, eating my sandwich?" Rain asked. Sapphire choked. That explained the steady, unsympathetic glare.

"Your sandwich? I'm sorry, I didn't know. I thought, I mean, I didn't. I'm… I'm not quite sure how I got here."

"Just relax," Rain said, heaving a sigh of frustration. "You stumbled in here about ten minutes ago complaining that you were dizzy. I went next door to get the doctor and found you asleep on my lunch when we came back."

Rosebloom, whom Sapphire had not yet noticed, pressed her ear to her ribs for a moment.

"Hey!" Sapphire yelped, nearly falling off over as she tried to get away.

"Relax," the Rosebloom said, studying Sapphire's eye.

"How is she?" Song asked, trying to see what Rosebloom was looking at.

"Eyes are bloodshot, breathing is a bit sluggish. Might be just a bit overtired. She was up half the night conjuring medication."

"It wasn't half the night," Sapphire protested half-heartedly.

"It might've been more than half. When did you wake up? How much magic have you done today?" Rosebloom asked. Sapphire shied away, flustered by Rosebloom's sharp tone.

"Not so many questions at once," Rain said, stepping between them. She flared her wings and flicked them sharply.

"She's a clever pony, she should be able to handle it," Rosebloom said, looking past the angry pegasus. "I warned her last night not to do this. She's clearly overtired and she's overused her magic so much she's barely standing."

Sapphire whined. "Uh oh," she mumbled. She collapsed against the table and slumped to the ground.

"Sapphire!" Rain yelped. "Now look!" She snapped at Rosebloom.

"Help me get her up," Rosebloom said. "Let's get her over to the hospital. She can sleep it off there."

Autumn Song arrived just then, pushing the door open with her nose. She immediately recognized the downed unicorn. That white fur and bright blue mane was unmistakable.

"Woah what's going on here? Is Sapphire okay?" she asked, pushing through the gathering crowd.

"Everyone step back, give us some room," Rosebloom said. "Sapphire's going to be just fine. Autumn, help me get her to the hospital. She just needs some sleep."

"What about me?" Rain asked. "How can I help?"

"Figure out where Emberwind went. She and Sapphire are almost inseparable. She'll know just how much magic Sapphire's been using over the past few days. Get Light on your way back," she said. "Maybe he can loan her his strength."

"Right, I'll hurry," she said, and galloped outside before flitting gracefully into the air. She was off like a shot, a thin wispy blue aura trailed off her tail and wings as she flew.

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Emberwind was in the last place Rain would expect to find her: on the ground, giving Ironfeather a tour.

"So all ponies have magic?" Ironfeather asked, looking up at the bakery they'd just got a basket of muffins from.

"Yeah, that's what our unicorns say," Emberwind said, munching on a muffin. "That's why we're so colorful, and why our marks match our talents. It's also why everypony excels so much at their talent, and why pegasus ponies can walk on clouds and trail and aura off their wings and tails when they fly. It's just a theory though, something Light and Sapphire cooked up."

"Do you think it's true?" Ironfeather asked.

"Could be," Emberwind said. "They're both very clever ponies. I don't pay it much mind really. I'm more about flying. I teach the young pegasi here in Glendale actually. We have the occasional gryphon as well, none in the past couple years though."

Ironfeather sighed.

"Wings still hurting you?" Emberwind asked.

"Yes, I hope that doctor of yours is wrong. I am not keen on being grounded for three weeks." Ironfeather stretched his wings, winced slightly and then folded them across his back.

"I hope so too, I've been grounded before. Not something I'd like to have happen to me again. On the bright side, at least Doctor Rosebloom cleared you for a walking tour. She probably could have kept you there a couple more days. Best to do what she said or you'll be flat on your belly for a solid week."

The gryphon nodded slowly without saying anything. The unhappy look in his eyes was impossible to conceal. Emberwind frowned and placed the basket of muffins in front of him.

"Try one, you'll like it," she said.

Ironfeather tried one of the warm, buttery muffins. The pegasus was right, it melted in his mouth. He'd wolfed down two of them in seconds.

"Easy there," Emberwind said. She chuckled at the gryphon's appetite. "We'll want to save a few for the hospital staff."

"Maybe then we should get a second basket?" Ironfeather suggested with a hopeful look. Emberwind however, was not responsive. "Something wrong?"

High overhead a light blue figure soared by, making good time toward the flight school perched atop the cliff overlooking Glendale. Emberwind was watching it intently.

"Not sure," she said as the pegasus vanished in the distance. "I should go check on that. Someone just went up to the flight school in a hurry and there's no classes today, so they might be looking for me."

"Should I go back to the hospital?" Ironfeather asked. "I think I can find it on my own."

"I imagine you've had more than enough of the hospital. Why don't you wait here at the bakery? They'll probably whip you up something special and I shouldn't be gone long."

"That sounds nice," Ironfeather said. "Also I'd very much like to see your flight school once I am well enough to make the flight."

"Of course, that's the first place we'll take you," Emberwind said. "Back shortly," she added, then leapt into the air and raced off trailing a fiery aura in her wake. She stopped for a moment and looked back down at the gryphon below. She frowned. He was watching her with a sullen expression. Suddenly she wished she'd waited until he'd gone inside before racing off into the sunny mid-afternoon skies. Too late, she chided herself for the insensitivity. She sincerely hoped that something in the bakery, whether it be a new friend or just a nice treat, would lift the grounded gryphon's injured spirit.


	3. Chapter 3: Soft Crash

Chapter 3

"Ugh my head," Sapphire groaned. She sipped at a bowl of water next to her bed. A quick glance in the mirror confirmed her suspicion that she looked no better than she felt. For the moment she was alone, at least there was that. She pawed at her brightly colored mane, trying to straighten it. Another sip of water and then a quick escape. That was the plan, but it didn't get far off the ground. One of Rosebloom's nurses came in just as she was about to slip out.

"Miss Starlight why are you out of bed?" the nurse asked.

"I have work to do," Sapphire replied, trying to edge past the other pony. No luck, the nurse took a pre-emptive step to fill the doorway. Teleporting was out of the question as well.

"You need to recover. Rosebloom found Emberwind and she told us what you'd been doing. Your magic is severely depleted. That's not healthy for an aspiring unicorn. Dr. Rosebloom's ordered a day of bed rest for you."

Sapphire's ears drooped. "Can't I do that at home?" she whined. She felt like she'd already spent far too much time at the hospital this week.

"No," the nurse said firmly.

"I'll rest, I promise. There's nothing to do here and my books are all at home," Sapphire argued.

"Emberwind brought your new book from the observatory," the nurse said. She gestured to the nightstand by the hospital bed. The old leather-bound tome was there. She chided herself for not having spotted it already. There went her best excuse to leave. Emberwind knew her far too well.

"Sorry," Sapphire said, sulking back to the bed. "I got a little carried away and overdid it. I shouldn't have worried everyone like that."

"Its fine I'm sure," the nurse said. "I'll be right outside. Call if you need anything."

"Thanks, I will," Sapphire said.

"And do not try to sneak out," she added as she left.

Sapphire quickly determined that resting just meant no magic and to stay in the hospital bed. That left all day for reading. Unfortunately the spirit was willing but the body was still exhausted. She slept the better part of the afternoon with the book lying open on the bed next to her.

When she woke later, she found the book had been placed back on the bedside table, along with another sandwich from the café next door. Sapphire blushed at the sight of it. She made a mental note to buy Morning Rain another sandwich after Rosebloom released her. The shutters over the window above the bed were slightly ajar, letting through a faint shaft of sunlight, stained orange by the imminent nightfall. Almost dinnertime. Rain's sandwich would have to wait for another day. She nibbled at the sandwich that'd been left for her, but it made her stomach churn. Still no appetite. Not a great sign of recovery that she'd hoped to parade in front of Rosebloom.

"Sorry, you'll have to stay the night," Rosebloom said when she arrived to light the candles. Sapphire whined.

"I've been here all day," she protested.

"Why do you suppose that is?" Rosebloom asked, her nose wrinkling as she cast Sapphire a disdainful look.

"I said I was sorry," she said. "I overused my magic. It was a priority. Light's Hope was the only one that could get a message to Dawn Chaser and Emberwind is very worried about him."

"This isn't a punishment Sapphire," Rosebloom reminded her. "Your friends were worried and I is my job to see that you get better. That means making a full recovery, not just patching you up enough to shove you out the door. Okay?"

"Okay," Sapphire said, trying hard to conceal her disappointment. Rosebloom did not seem to take notice and left her to rest.

Late in the night Sapphire was awoken by a soft light and a hushed whisper. "Sapphire, wake up," it was Light's Hope.

"Light? What's going on?" Sapphire yawned and rubbed her head against the pillow. "Tell me this is a joke," she groaned, looking up at the starry night sky outside her window.

"Come, you need to get up," Light said.

"Does Rosebloom know you're in here?" Sapphire asked.

"She knows," Light said. "She's already gone. Come though, the pegasi have returned."

Sapphire shot up out of bed, kicking her legs free of the sheets tangled about them. She was wide awake now, searching Light's stoic expression for some sign of what news Dawn Chaser had brought.

"Do not worry, all three are well. One was injured but it was not serious. They have much to tell us about their journey."

"And it can't wait til morning?" Sapphire asked, trying to steady herself. Her eyes were still blurry with sleep and she felt unsteady on her hooves.

"No, I am afraid that it cannot," Light said, then turned to go.

Sapphire heaved a sigh. "I'm going to end up in the hospital again," she said, catching up to him.

The returning pegasi had landed just outside of town in a tall, grassy field. A soft crash, Sapphire suspected. It was something she'd heard Emberwind teaching one of her students. Her suspicions were confirmed when they reached the crash site. Autumn Song and Rosebloom were carefully lifting Tempest onto a stretcher. He looked like he'd been through hell. He'd lost several feathers and was covered in scratches.

"You said it wasn't serious," Sapphire whispered to Light.

"He will survive," Light explained.

Much to her relief, Dawn and Stormy had fared much better.

Dawn Chaser was briefing the mayor on the mission with Emberwind by his side. Stormy waited in the backdrop, keeping a watchful eye on the northern skies.

"We were on our way back when the wolven caught up with us. A storm rolled in and forced us to land. We tried to take shelter in a few evergreens but there was a wolven hiding in one. He got a good piece of Tempest. Stormy and I rushed in and knocked it out. Then we high tailed it out of there. The blizzard broke about an hour later and we made a rush south. Had to carry Tempest most of the way. Sent up the signal flare when we got close and crashed here in the field."

"Well we are very glad that all three of you made it back," Fleethoof said. "Of course we're very interested in your findings."

"Sir its overrun up there," Dawn said. "There's hundreds of wolven and they're not the worst of it."

"What did you see?" Light asked.

"A chimera for one," Dawn said. "We saw some signs of dragons as well. But the thing that really bothers me, is this… blackness."

Sapphire swallowed hard. She didn't like the sound of that. "Dragon smoke?" she asked.

"No it wasn't like that at all," the pegasus explained. "It was more like storm clouds, big, wild storm clouds. Nothing like they make over in Cloudsdale. They were heavy with lightning and wind. The roar was incredible. We couldn't get very close. It was all in a big ring, circling something bright that shone way up into the stars."

"Light into the stars? Do either of you know what that might mean?" Flinthoof asked, looking toward the two unicorns for answers. None were forthcoming. Ironfeather lurked out of the back of the small crowd.

"I've heard stories," he said, "but they're just… stories…"

"About a light at the top of the world?" Dawn asked.

"Yes," the gryphon said. "Our pride's storyteller sometimes spoke of a great evil at the top of the world, sealed away in centuries past. It is an incarnate essence of the darkness, and fears the light. They say the moon was a sacred seal placed in the night sky to ward him off forever, so that the sacrifice of the heroes that sealed him away would not be in vain."

"And you think this might be true?" Fleethoof asked. "It seems so…"

"Let's not be hasty," Sapphire said, speaking up before the mayor could say something to offend the gryphon. "Legend sometimes has a ring of truth to it. Maybe there is something up there, sealed away. The part about the moon is probably not relevant, since the moon's been around since the dawn of time."

"That makes sense," Emberwind said. "So something's been trapped up there, and its getting out. That's what's driving all these monsters south into gryphon territory."

"They will not stop there," Light said.

"So we flee further south then?" Ironfeather asked.

"I'm not sure if that's necessary," Fleethoof said.

"No," Emberwind said. "We can't run away from this. Glendale is our home, and we will all stand together against this… darkness… I will not have Equestria look back to this and say that this was the day the ponies of Glendale gave into fear. That this was the day we abandoned our post and let the darkness invade unchecked. It would be a catastrophe."

"She's right," Dawn Chaser said. "We'll weather this together, just as always."

"Are you prepared to accept the cost of this decision?" Ironfeather asked.

"We are," Sapphire said.

"It's settled then," Fleethoof said. "We're digging in. I need each of you to spread the word. We're going to have a town hall meeting first thing in the morning. All of you know what to do."

Everyone nodded solemnly. Heavy clouds had rolled in, blocking out the moonlight. Light flickered to life on the tip of Light's horn. Everyone fell in step behind him as he led the way back to town.

Dawn Chaser looked up at the gathering clouds and sighed. "I'm going to have to have a word with those new recruits," he said.

"Aww they did very well considering you were gone," Emberwind said. "They even knocked out Sapphire's shade cloud."

"Oh?" Dawn chuckled, looking over at Sapphire. "Up early yesterday?"

"A little," Sapphire grumbled.

"Such a night owl," Emberwind said.

"At least you're in a better mood," Sapphire said. "She was so quiet while you were gone Dawn. Just kept watching the north sky."

"Did you now?" Dawn asked, nuzzling Emberwind's neck.

"I did," she said, grinning. "I missed you."

"Are you two lovebirds coming by the observatory tonight?" Sapphire asked.

Emberwind shrugged her wings. "Maybe," she said. "We've got to figure out what to tell the students at the flight school though."

"Do you need assistance Miss Starlight?" Ironfeather asked.

"I enjoy company," she said, "and someone to bounce ideas off of."

"I would prefer to not have to spend another night in the hospital," he said.

"You and me both," Sapphire said. "I've got an extra bed you can use."

Ironfeather grinned. It was an odd expression to see on a gryphon, mostly in the eyes since the beak was completely rigid. She couldn't help but smile back.


	4. Chapter 4: The Watchmaker

Chapter 4

The Watchmaker

The tower was quiet, but Sapphire liked it that way. In fact it was why she'd bought the top floor and converted it into a small apartment when she'd moved to Glendale so many years ago. She had almost an hour to study her new book before Ironfeather woke up and joined her in the observatory.

"Not going to the town meeting?" he asked, looking down on the town from one of the numerous windows that were spaced along the walls. Sapphire set her book back on the desk and joined him at the window. The view was another thing she liked about living in the tower. It made it easy to keep an eye on things.

"I already know what they're going to say. I'd rather not see all their faces when they find out what we're up against," Sapphire explained. "It just.. won't solve anything."

"The books will though?" he asked.

"They help me focus," she said. "I've been trying all morning to find more out about those lights up north and the legend you told us about."

"And did you find anything?" Ironfeather asked.

"No," Sapphire said, slouching visibly. She'd been working all morning with no result.

"What do you suppose they're saying down there?" he asked, looking down at the crowd far below.

"Just the truth of what we're up against," Sapphire said. "I do not envy Fleethoof's job." She took a deep breath and then returned to her book. Her guest watched out the window for a while longer, then began to explore the observatory.

"This is a nice place," he said. "What sort of work do you do up here?"

"I study magic, dragon magic mostly, but other magic as well. Starlight and moonlight are essential components in many spells. Living in the observatory gives me good access to that without attracting a crowd."

"So magic is your job then?" he asked.

"Basically, most towns try to keep a few unicorns around for magic," she said. "We help with healing, sometimes assist the pegasus teams with the weather, and provide protective wards against monsters. What about you? Does your pride keep magic users around?"

"Gryphon magic doesn't work like pony magic," he said. "It comes when we need it, from somewhere within. It rarely manifests. Usually it's… locked."

"It's locked away? Maybe that's something I can fix," Sapphire said. "I'll look into it after all this mess is over." Another book joined the growing heap on her desk.

"Still nothing?" Ironfeather asked.

"Still nothing."

A soft chime interrupted her search.

"I wonder who that could be," she said, dropping the most recent book into the pile. Ironfeather hurried to the window and looked down.

"It's the unicorn from last night," he said. "Light's Hope was his name I think."

"Light? Here?" Sapphire asked. She began frantically straightening her desk and removing the clutter from the floor.

"I'll just… go let him in then…" Ironfeather said.

"Gah, wait, I'll get it," Sapphire said. A soft aura of light glowed about her horn for a moment. The door swung open in response.

Light seemed amused when he reached the tower. He wore a satchel against his right foreleg. A scroll tied in red ribbon poked out from the top of it.

"I see you're hard at work this morning," he said. "I thought you could use some help. You're looking into the gryphon legend right?"

"Yes," Sapphire said. She shook out her mane and looked over at the pile of books. "So far I've not had much luck. I got some stuff together on the wolven, but nothing on the legend itself."

"I found something that might interest you then," he said. He floated the scroll over to the desk and unrolled it.

"This is… where'd you find this?" Sapphire asked.

"Town hall. It's an old surveyor's map of the region Glendale was built in. When the town was originally chartered they sent dozens of scout groups into the area to evaluate the land."

"Light this is brilliant," she said. Light blushed.

"I uh… well… the thing is," he stuttered, then regained his composure. "There's a mention here of an old building way up north. Nothing about function, it could just be a weather station. Thing is, it's right about where Dawn Chaser saw that light."

Ironfeather peered over Light's shoulder at the old document. "Why is there no gryphon territory marked on the map?" he asked, brow furrowed.

"This is centuries old," Light said. "Your pride probably wasn't around then."

Sapphire yelped and took her hooves off the map. "This isn't the original right?"

"Of course not," Light said, shaking his head. "A little faith Sapphire, please."

"Right, sorry, of course it's not." There was an awkward silence for several moments as Sapphire stared at the map and tried to decide what the old building could be. "Listen," she said, "there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about." She trailed off.

"Yes?" Light asked.

"You talk a lot about faith, and you always seem so calm and well-gathered. Half the time I'm around you I feel like I'm just a goofy filly. So please, if this seems, premature, don't think me too silly. I'm just nervous about this whole wolven invasion ordeal."

"Alright, certainly," Light said. "What is it?"

"I do have faith in Glendale, I do. I just, I'm not sure how well we're going to be able to handle ourselves against the wolven. There are so many of them, and they're much more savage than our kind. What if digging in isn't enough? I just don't want to see any of my friends hurt or killed when I didn't exhaust every possible alternative."

"That's a very practical, reasonable approach," Light said. "What are you proposing?"

"A journey," Sapphire said. "We take our bravest and best up to the light at the top of the world, and put an end to whatever is driving the wolven our way. We could end the entire invasion with one action. It would be risky, but the reward if we succeeded would be great."

"So a quest then," Ironfeather said.

"It sounds a little silly when you say it that way," Sapphire said. She chuckled nervously.

"This is definitely worth looking into," Light said. "I don't know you were so nervous about bring it up. We could leave as early as tomorrow morning. We just need supplies, and enough strong ponies to deal with any wolven we might come across."

Sapphire was relieved that Light had quickly become preoccupied with planning the expedition. It made it all the easier to conceal her embarrassed blush.

"I would like to go as well," Ironfeather said. "I know I'm grounded by the storms will keep even your Emberwind on the ground. Plus I know the area."

"Then it's settled," Light said. "A glorious expedition to the north to save our town from disaster. This is the stuff of legend guys. We'll want to bring Emberwind and Dawn Chaser, and perhaps one or two others, in case we run into trouble."

"There's one other person we should talk to before we go," Sapphire said. Her eyes tracked up to the polished brass clock hanging over the doorframe.

"Do you think he'll help?" Light asked. Sapphire easily picked up on the doubt in his voice.

"He's very old," Sapphire said. "He might know something about the story."

"Who are you talking about?" Ironfeather asked.

"There's an old dragon that lives on the edge of town. He makes time pieces mostly. He's a little off in the head," Light said.

Sapphire tensed. She could feel her temper rising, but she knew this was not an argument she'd win with Light.

"A dragon, is that safe?" Ironfeather asked.

"It's been done several times before," Sapphire said, speaking quickly before Light could interject.

"Have a word with him if you think it could help," Light said. "I'll be at the flight school, gathering others for our cause."

He left without another word. Sapphire's ears dropped.

"That could've gone better," she said once she was sure the other unicorn had gone.

"He likes your plan for the quest at least," Ironfeather said.

"I shouldn't have told him I wanted to go to Brindolar for help," she said. Ironfeather shrugged helplessly in response.

Later that afternoon, Sapphire stood in Brindolar's shop, with Ironfeather at her side. The old watchmaker stood on two legs and towered over the two of them. He was dark red in color, with a creamy belly. Leathery wings were folded across his back, protruding through a pair of slits in his cloak.

"Miss Starlight," he said without looking up from his work, "it is good to see you again. I am afraid that your device is not quite ready. It will be another week, as we discussed. But then, I suppose you're not here about that. Something to do with the town hall meeting perhaps?"

The dragon's voice was soft and a little cold, but Sapphire paid it no mind. She felt comfortable here in the dragon's presence, despite the obvious nervousness of her companion.

"You went?" Ironfeather asked, sounding surprised.

"I did not," the dragon said matter-of-factly. "I prefer to keep to myself and my work but I do pay attention."

"Well you're right, it is about the meeting," Sapphire said. "There have been some things happening that we're having trouble explaining, and it looks like it might be related to an old building Dawn Chaser found up north."

"An old building up north you say?" Brindolar asked. He turned for a moment and looked back at his two guests. It was the first time he'd made eye contact with either of them. His bright cobalt eyes seemed almost hypnotic to look at. Ironfeather quickly found an interesting spot on the floor at the dragon's feet to stare at.

"Yes," Sapphire said. "It looks like it was here before Glendale was founded. I wanted to ask if you knew anything about it."

"That was several centuries ago," Brindolar said. "How old you believe I am?"

"I'm not sure I could even guess," Sapphire said. "Your magic is very developed but you're rather small."

"This is small?" Ironfeather muttered.

"It's true, most dragons with my level of development are hulking beasts that spend centuries napping in light forsaken caves," Brindolar said. "I have no interest in living my life as a bleary-eyed monster."

"So I'm guessing you found a way to stop your growth?" Sapphire asked.

"Yes, around five centuries ago. I still age but I will never grow larger than I am now."

"You were here when Glendale was founded?" Sapphire asked.

"Yes," the dragon said quietly. "I was. I was a young thing then, a little naïve to the dangers of living on the frontier. There were difficulties no one expected. It takes a great deal of magic, Miss Starlight, to survive on the savage frontiers of Equestria . Forces both good and evil exist out here. There was such greatness in them, and such terrible curses. Many did not survive, some, worse."

"Anything from back then that you think might still be around…?" Sapphire asked, walking up to the workbench Brindolar was hunched over.

"Sometimes, I think, if I just… if I could… " he said weakly, looking up at the large clock above his desk. He had such a sorrowful look on his face that Sapphire couldn't bring herself to interrupt. The dragon reached up with a gnarled black claw, and began slowly turning the minute hand back, hour by hour. Eventually he put his head down and shut his eyes.

"I'm sorry," Sapphire said, quietly backing away. "We'll leave you be." Ironfeather had already withdrawn to the door, waiting for her.

"Sapphire, are you going to the old sanctuary? With the lights?" Brindolar asked.

"Yes, we are." Sapphire said, looking up at the dragon.

"I would very much like to go with you," he said.

"We're leaving at dawn the day after tomorrow," Sapphire said. "If you're sure, show up then, ready to go. We'll meet at town hall."

"I will be there," Brindolar said, lifting his head high.


	5. Chapter 5: The Last Sunrise

**Chapter 5**

**The Last Sunrise**

The morning came to leave Glendale, and Sapphire found she was still not as ready as she wished to be. There were so many supplies she wanted to bring, and so little room in her saddlebags. Ironfeather was doing his best to help, but was quickly finding Sapphire's organizational skills lacking.

"Miss Starlight I do not think you are going to be able to fit more than one book into your pack. There's simply not the space."

"It's just Sapphire," she said. "Are you sure? Do you have any space leftover in your pack?"

"I'm sorry no," Ironfeather said. "Light's got me loaded up on food."

Sapphire frowned. She eventually settled on her old spellbook from school, and left her new book sitting on the desk.

"I guess that's that then," she said. "I'll just get back to it when we get back."

"And it will still be here," Ironfeather assured her. "We should get downstairs, the others will be ready to go soon."

"Right," Sapphire said. She cast a longing look back at the observatory, locked behind her, as she made her way to town hall with Ironfeather in tow. She knew there was no telling how long it would be until she saw it again. Seeing Emberwind at town hall lifted her spirits. She'd been so busy the past couple days that she'd hardly had a moment to speak with her friend.

"Sapphire, glad to see you're up. I know it's a little early for a night-pony like you," Emberwind said, smiling.

"Yeah yeah I know," she said.

Emberwind stepped up next to Sapphire and eyed her overly stuffed saddlebags. The impression of her book was pressed out against the right saddlebag.

"Err can I help you?" Sapphire asked.

"You did bring more than just books right?" Emberwind asked.

"I brought one spellbook," she said. "Everything else is food, and tools. I swear."

"Good, then we're ready," Light said. He unfurled a map in the air in front of everyone.

"This is Karamon Pass," Dawn Chaser said. "With the winter storms rolling in, it's our best route through the mountains. It's low, and well-sheltered from the winds. We've got about a week before it becomes impassable by snow. We'll want to be back by then, or we'll have to weather the storms. Our objective is here, a small building high in the mountains. There's one more thing, it's.. past the sunline."

"How far past the sunline?" Autumn Song asked. "I've never been there."

Sapphire's ears perked. Coming up over the hill was Brindolar. He was dressed in a thick fur vest and carried a pack over his shoulder. At his side, a sword was fastened to his belt.

"I am, relieved," he said, "to see that you have not left yet. I am afraid I overslept."

"That won't become a problem I hope?" Light asked. Sapphire shot him a look.

"I have spent the last two days in meditation and preparation," the dragon said. "I will require little sleep for the duration of our journey."

This seemed to satisfy Light. He returned his attention to the map, pointing out possible campsites, and the exact location along their path where they would cross the sunline. It was much sooner than Sapphire had hoped. Well over half the distance was on the other side of that line. It would be a long, cold march in complete darkness, save the light of the moon when it was to be had.

"Who here, has been past the sunline?" Dawn Chaser asked, once the route had been explained. No one answered. Brindolar raised his hand.

"I have," he said.

"As have I," Ironfeather chimed in.

"Past the sunline it will be dark for the entire day," Dawn Chaser said. "I hope you all packed very warmly, the weather up here is uncontrolled by pegasi. We have no idea how harsh it will be and the patterns could change in mere hours."

Everyone nodded their understanding. Stormy and Morning Rain stood by, watching.

"I wish I could go," Morning said, pushing her head up against Sapphire's.

"We'll be fine, don't worry," Sapphire said, hoping to reassure her, and perhaps to convince herself. "Besides, someone has to watch after things while we're gone. You and Stormy will do fine. Try to keep Fleethoof calm, and we'll be back before you know it."

Morning nodded slowly, and continued down the line. Sapphire looked to Light. He was already pointed north, eyes fixed on the distant horizon. Everyone fell in step behind him and Dawn. Ironfeather hurried to catch up. Sapphire fell back alongside Brindolar.

"You never said you'd been past the sunline," she said. "Why?"

The dragon looked down at her, but did not respond right away. He seemed to be weighing his options. "It was not a happy time in my life," he said at last. "It is not something I prefer to reminisce upon."

"I see," Sapphire said. "Did… something happen?" she asked.

"I cannot remember," the dragon said, looking down at the snowy path before him. Sapphire was sure he was lying, but decided not to press the issue.

"We'll be safe," she said. "Ironfeather knows the region well." This, unfortunately, did not seem to lift the dragon's spirits. She took a moment to herself to study the group. There were seven of them in all: Light's Hope, Dawn Chaser, Ironfeather, Autumn Song, Emberwind, Brindolar, and Sapphire herself. She would have felt better if Stormy and Rain had come as well, but mayor Fleethoof had thrown such a fit when he found just how many were going in the first place that he'd explicitly forbade taking more than two of the town's few pegasus ponies off on some quest. Sapphire rolled her eyes. She really hoped the old pony could keep the place together in their absence. It was a tough job that few had the desire to do.

"Thinking about something?" Emberwind asked.

"Yeah," Sapphire said, looking back at Glendale, now far in the distance behind them. "I'm just glad we have people left behind that we can count on. I want a home to come back to when this is over."

"I'm with you there," the fiery-maned pegasus said. "Think you're going to need that?" she asked, eyeballing Brindolar's weapon.

"Yes," he answered coldly, offering no further comment.

"Delightful fellow," Emberwind said, looking away from him.

"I am what I am," the dragon said. "You are armed as well, of course," he pointed out.

"Just the wings," Emberwind said, flapping them once for good measure. "And that's more than enough for me."

"I know," the dragon said, smiling subtly. "Let us hope we will not need to use them."

The sunline seemed to come all too soon. The pass was already half covered in snow, and the dark clouds, heavy with snow, blocked out what precious little sun was left so far north. Sapphire and Light took the lead, the constant, steady glow of their horns providing beacons for the others to follow.

Sapphire ached all over when Light finally called for a stop to the march. The small band found a cave to rest in, and started a small fire near the mouth to keep the cold at bay.

"That's probably the last we'll see of daylight," Ironfeather said, looking out into the dark. Snowflakes whistled past in a frenzy, carried on an arctic wind. "The sunline is very far south in the winter I'm afraid."

"How far do you think we made it today Light?" Autumn asked, looking down at the map the unicorn had unfurled on the cave floor.

"Better than I'd hoped," he said, "but there's still a long way to go. Everyone should get some rest. Tomorrow will not be easier. We'll be more exposed to the wind once we leave the pass."

"Actually," Sapphire said. "I've got something prepared just for that. My technique isn't perfect, but Ironfeather told me a bit about gryphon magic. Modern gryphons migrate south for the winter every year. However, ancient gryphons used to hibernate. They'd found that the mountain range used to be volcanic. Some of the latent energy from the magma still persists in the rocks. It just takes the right application of force…"

Sapphire reared up and struck the wall sharply with both hooves. Her efforts were rewarded with a loud, resounding clap reverberating through the cave, and a small, somewhat spherical black rock that fell loose and rolled over to her hind hooves. She hopped up and stomped as hard as she could on the coarse black rock. Nothing. She snorted in frustration and tossed her mane. Again. Nothing.

"Let me take a whack at it," Autumn said. She took the rock and positioned it carefully before her, and stomped down upon it with almost savage force. The outer layer of the rock shattered like glass and fell away. The core was dark black and smooth as ice. Immediately it began to warm and glowed with a soft orange aura.

"Thank you," Sapphire said.

"Don't mention it," Autumn said. "You just need to practice your uh… technique there a bit."

Sapphire blushed. Her first impulse was to try to explain how it wasn't about brute force strength, but about force of will, and how the type of magic earth ponies wielded was much more suitable in comparison to the less forceful, but more manipulative sort that unicorns possessed, but she quickly ascertained that Autumn would not care, and the earth pony did take pride in her strength.

"Right, of course," Sapphire said with a quiet chuckle of embarrassment riding on her voice. At least it had worked in the end.

"Good job, both of you," Light said. "These will take the edge off the cold. Let's try to get a few more of them together."

Soon they had built a campfire, and dinner was cooking in a kettle. Several of the travelers were gathered at the mouth of the cave, watching the snow fall.

"It's nice to watch," Emberwind said.

"It's a lot like the stuff we make," Dawn said. "Just a lot more of it. I wonder, where it all comes from."

"The magic up north," Sapphire said. "There must be so much of it. That's the only thing I can think of that could cause this much weather.

"Leave it to a unicorn to jump to magic," Autumn said.

"Got a better idea?" Sapphire asked, grinning.

"Well, no. I guess not," Autumn said. "Maybe… northern pegasus ponies?"

"Fraid not," Emberwind said, chuckling. "Glendale ponies are the furthest north in this region."

"Sapphire is probably right," Ironfeather said.

"Everyone should get some sleep," Light said. "We've got a long way to go yet. There will be plenty of time to debate where the snow comes from when we're marching through it tomorrow."

"I'll take first watch," Brindolar said, settling in by the entryway.

It felt like hardly any time had passed at all when Sapphire awoke to Brindolar's hand on her shoulder. Bleary eyed, she looked up at the old dragon.

"My turn to watch?" Sapphire asked.

"Sorry, no," Brindolar said. "It is morning, according to my timepiece. That means time to go." The old dragon smiled. Sapphire wished she had the energy to smile back.

The days wore on, but at last the lights came into view…


	6. Chapter 6: The Fire in Her Words

*****A Note From FrostedLights*****

**Please be aware that I uploaded TWO chapters this time around because it had been so long, so please be aware that you might have missed chapter 5 as it was uploaded at the same time as chapter 6. **

**Chapter 6**

**The Fire in Her Words**

Sapphire and Light stood on a ridge, looking on toward the distant lights. They came from the center of a sprawling compound, ringed in the dark black clouds of a raging storm. Sapphire was in awe of it. It was like nothing she'd ever seen. She looked back at the others, gathered around a small fire nearby, all eyes were fixed on the sprawling wonder before them.

"The others are ready to go into the sanctuary," Brindolar said, coming up the ridge behind them.

"I think we're about ready," Sapphire said. "We've been trying to make sense of the magic. Something about this place seems off. It doesn't feel quite right."

Brindolar squinted, looking at the light beyond them.

"It does feel… different," Brindolar said.

"Is it something you've seen before?" Light asked, looking up at Brindolar. The old dragon rubbed his chin.

"It feels familiar. I am sorry, I cannot place my finger on it," he said. He took his timepiece from the pocket of his robe.

"We should get moving then," Light said. "The general area seems safe enough."

"Doesn't it bother you that we've not seen a single wolven on our entire journey?" Sapphire asked, pawing at the snow.

"It's strange," Light said, looking off toward the distant cliffs. "We have numbers though. They might have just kept their distance."

"Not as many as we did," Ironfeather said darkly.

Sapphire frowned. "It's suspicious. We've not seen a single track either. I know the snow would wipe them out quickly, but we should have seen something. It's like they've all vanished."

"They were here," Dawn Chaser said, stamping his hoof.

"No one's doubting you," Sapphire said quickly. "Let's just... get out of the snow."

Everyone fell in step behind Light's Hope. The light of his horn had been leading the small group of travelers the last days. Now it was finally out, dwarfed by the light of the sanctuary. The courtyard path was buried under snow. Only the tall statues protruding through the drifts marked the way. With few exceptions the statues were of strange creatures that even well-studied Sapphire did not recognize. The few that she did were mostly wolven, a few gryphons, and one very imposing dragon perched atop a fountain in the middle of the courtyard. It was riddled with cracks and every layer of it was filled with snow.

Suddenly Sapphire found herself surrounded. In the blink of an eye, wolven had appeared everywhere. They were running, all of them, from the big citadel in the middle of the sanctuary. They seemed completely unaware of the travelers in their midst. One bore down on Sapphire. She braced herself, magic flashing from her horn. In an instant it was gone, Sapphire and her friends were alone in the courtyard once more.

"Woah there Sapphire, you okay? You nearly jumped right off your hooves there," Autumn said.

Sapphire lowered her guard, the light fading from her horn. She looked around in amazement. The others seemed oblivious to what had just transpired.

"There were.. wolven...?" she said breathlessly. Her heart was still pounding furiously in her chest.

"Where? Which way?" Dawn shouted. He reared up on his hindlegs and punched at the air with his hooves.

"They're gone," Sapphire said. "There were dozens of them, running away from that." She nodded toward the citadel at the end of the path.

"I saw them too," Brindolar said, he had drawn his sword.

"I don't think they could see us," Sapphire said. Everything seemed to spin. She let her defensive spell fail completely, and tried to catch her breath.

"You know, for a moment, I thought I saw something too," Emberwind said. "Out of the corner of my eye, but when I looked it was gone."

"Everyone stay close together," Light said.

"It was an echo," Brindolar said. He had sheathed his sword. He was looking up at the column of light rising from the citadel. "An echo of time, from all the magic coming off that light. The wolven aren't here, they were here before."

"Then we continue," Light said, moving down the path.

"Wait!" Brindolar called out. "We're not safe from the time flows. They're all out of alignment here. That's the strange aura in the air. Damaged magic."

"Anything we can do about it?" Light said, looking up at the dragon.

Brindolar dug through his backpack for a moment, and came up with a fistful of silver chains. He had three of them in all. The first he placed around Sapphire's neck.

"These are wards, against time disruption," he said. "They'll protect us from time slips, but they need a magic user to keep them active."

"...why did you bring these?" Light asked, eyes narrowed.

"I.. I don't know," Brindolar said, hesitantly. "I saw them in my home, I thought they'd be useful."

"Wards against damaged time flows?" Light asked. "That's awfully convenient. Just how far north of the sunline have you been dragon?"

"I don't remember, I'm sorry," he said. Sapphire stepped in front of him.

"Light! Give it a rest. Just be glad we've got them," she said sternly. She stamped her hoof in frustration.

"If he knows more," Light started.

"Then he'd tell us!" Sapphire said, interrupting him.

"My memories are not whole Light's Hope," Brindolar said. "I do not know why. I just felt strongly that we'd have need of these. There's a chance that I have been here before, and simply do not remember."

"How could you not remember a place like this?" Autumn Song asked. "Not saying you're lyin or anything, but I gotta tell you Brindo, this is a place I don't think I'll soon forget, even if I did live a few hundred years or so."

"There are spells that can erase memories," Sapphire said. "Maybe someone used one on Brindolar."

"But why?" the dragon asked.

"Perhaps something you saw, was too terrible to remember?" Ironfeather said sullenly.

"Gather your courage," Light said, looking past the dragon at the sulking gryphon in the back. He quickly lost his interest in Brindolar and rushed to Ironfeather's side.

"Maybe it was important," Sapphire said, frowning as she looked up at the bewildered dragon. Brindolar shook his head. She rolled her eyes as Light rushed past. She knew he was right, Brindolar seemed to know far too much about the sanctuary, but it frustrated her how much Light distrusted the old dragon. She knew it wasn't something she could change though. All too many failed attempts at winning him over to that dotted her memories. Her thoughts returned to Brindolar's missing memories. Soon Light had steadied Ironfeather's nerves, and the travelers finally reached the entrance of the citadel.

Inside was a strange sight. There was a magnificent foyer, littered with debris. Tapestries hung from the walls and ceiling. Many of them had been torn down, most of those that remained had been rent to shreds. Enchanted torches along the walls were all lit, eternally casting their pale light across the room. In the far corner of the room was the strangest sight of all. A lone unicorn with light brown fur and a dark brown mane and tail stood next to a crumbling pillar. An old leather-bound book laid open on the floor before her with a writer's quill resting against the page. A picture of an open book with a quill put to it adorned her flanks.

"Is she.. another echo?" Sapphire asked quietly.

"She's real," Autumn said. "I can see her too."

"Hey! You there! Are you okay?" Emberwind asked, hurrying toward the unicorn. The unicorn didn't respond. Her eyes were shut tight, and she was still as the statues outside. Even her fur didn't seem to move, despite the cold wind rushing out through the open doors.

"Is she.. dead?" Ironfeather asked quietly.

"She's frozen, in some sort of spell," Light said. "Look closely, but don't touch," he said. "Watch how the crystal catches the light."

Everyone circled around the unicorn's crystalline prison. It was so clear that only the imperfections along the jagged edges gave away its presence.

"Looks like she might've been a writer or something," Autumn said, prodding at the spilled inkwell.

"It looks like she tried to keep writing even while the spell trapped her," Emberwind said, inspecting the fallen book. "The writing gets so frantic right before the end."

"This is awful," Sapphire said softly. "Light, please tell me you can save her." The sight of it made her stomach turn.

"I can try..." he said, circling the crystal prison. Bright light flashed from his horn and crackled across the crystalline surface. Sapphire flinched, blinded by the intensity. When her vision cleared the crystal had begun to melt away, giving off a foul-smelling smoke. The unicorn collapsed to the ground as soon as her legs were freed. She was eerily still. Sapphire was the first to approach.

"Are you okay? Can you hear me?" she asked. "My name is Sapphire."

The unicorn suddenly sprang to life, gasping for air. She coughed and choked for a moment and struggled to her feet.

"Take it easy," Emberwind warned. "You've been through quite a lot."

"My book, where is my book?" she asked, finally gathering her breath.

"Here it is," Autumn Song said, holding it up in her mouth. The unicorn snatched it up into the air and flipped through the pages, listening to the soft rustle as they turned. The inkwell and quill quickly joined the book in the air. Both were renewed with the touch of her magic. Quill to ink and then to page and she was off, zealously scribbling into the old book.

"I am Lyric," she said, her quill still racing across the pages.

"Well, Lyric, I'm Emberwind, this is Sapphire, Light, Autumn, Ironfeather, Brindolar, and my husband Dawn Chaser," Emberwind said, gesturing to each of them in turn. "Now, what were you doing up here alone?"

"I was not alone," Lyric said. She paused to lick the tip of her quill. "There are two others with me: Brazen and Stardust. I assume you're here to help us fight the monster?"

"Not exactly," Sapphire said. "We're not particularly familiar with the area, and we haven't seen any monster."

"What? How can that be?" Lyric's book snapped shut. The faces around her wore expressions of only concern and doubt.

"You may have been trapped in that crystal for a long time," Light said.

"Where is Brazen? Did Stardust ever return? If not for us then why have you come?" she asked.

"There's a big light coming out of the top of this place. It's driving hordes of monsters called wolven toward Glendale," Sapphire explained. "We came to find out why. What can you tell us about this place?"

"This is the Sanctuary of Light, a place of great tragedy," Lyric said. "When these lands were first discovered, there was day and night here, just as in the rest of Equestria. But in the absence of good, evil had flourished, our settlers were unprepared for the violence brought to bear against them. But a wonderful thing happens in the darkness."

"What's that?" Autumn asked quietly.

Lyric's horn glowed softly and a flame sparked to life in the midst of her audience. "In the dark even the smallest light shines brightly. Brave and noble souls rose up to fight the monsters, and those weaker souls rallied beneath their light. Evil was prepared. They blighted the lands with an eternal night, so that the sun would never shine and darkness could gain full force. The Sanctuary of Light was our answer: a sacred place, in defiance of evil. A prison for him and his minions to last until the end of days."

"So the evil was beaten?" Dawn Chaser asked.

"For a time," Lyric said. "It recently tried to escape."

"But you said it was supposed to be trapped forever," Sapphire said. "What changed?"

"The land itself is cursed," Lyric said. "The sun cannot rise. But light is needed to keep the monster's power in check. Luna's Eye still shines down upon this place every night, and the light of it is harnessed by the sanctuary. But then there was an awful day, and our dear Princess was corrupted by the darkness. Her wrath grows each year, for centuries now, and taints the light needed to control the evil locked in this place. The defenses began to fall one by one as the light grew weaker. Brazen and Stardust came to gauge the damage. A new source of light must be found."

"But Luna is free now, its been over a thousand years since she was banished to the moon. She returned for her vengeance, but found redemption in the ruins of a temple in the Everfree Forest."

"A thousand years...?" Lyric asked. Her lips trembled, and her eyes widened. "I've been out for six centuries," she said breathlessly. "Everyone I know... everyone I knew..."

"I'm sure this is a pretty big shock," Sapphire said. "You can stay with us though. I'm sure a lot of things have changed. The moon doesn't rise here anymore even."

"Luna's Eye doesn't light the Sanctuary anymore?" she asked.

"No, I don't think it did even when I was just a filly," Sapphire said. She looked to the others, but got nothing. Ironfeather wasn't paying attention. Dawn and Light had moved away from the rest of the group and were quietly discussing plans for exploring the Sanctuary. Autumn was listening intently but just shrugged.

"It used to, but I cannot remember when that stopped," Brindolar said. "I believe it was over a century ago at least. Maybe two."

"Well that narrows it down," Emberwind said. "It's all moot anyway, the Sanctuary's standing up just fine on its own. The whole valley's lit up with the light it's throwing up into the night. Except for the parts sheltered under that storm."

"That is not good news at all," Lyric said. "The beacon's been lit... It was never let before."

"Hey guys?" Ironfeather asked.

"What is it?" Light asked.

"That, what is that?" Ironfeather asked nervously. He pointed toward a spot on the floor. A shimmering black puddle had formed, swirling with dark purple. The aura of it was beginning to rise. Without warning, the massive stone door slammed shut.

"Everyone out!" Sapphire shouted. She hurried to Autumn Song, dipped her head under the pony's right foreleg, hoisted her up, and flicked out of existence. She dropped Autumn in the snow outside, and flashed back into the Sanctuary. The darkness was starting to take shape now. Orbs of magic whirled around it. Sapphire knew there wasn't much time left. Light was just leaving with Dawn when she came back. One by one the Sanctuary was evacuated. At last Sapphire returned to find only Emberwind and Lyric left.

"She can't, her magic is too weak from the crystal," Emberwind said, answering the question already at the front of Sapphire's mind. She looked over at the figure forming in the middle of the room. All at once the torches around the walls all went out, plunging the room into darkness.

"It's going to be both of you at once," Sapphire said. "Get on!"

"But Sapphire!"

"NOW!" She snapped, leaping under the pegasus. In a flash the three were gone, but they never reached the snow outside. Sapphire slammed into a barrier of dark magic. Emberwind and Lyric tumbled off her as she slouched to the ground, barely conscious.

"D..did we make it?" Sapphire asked weakly.

"No, you did not," a cold voice growled.

Greetings! I hope you're enjoying the story so far, I should warn you at this point that the story gets darker from here on out. There won't be gore, but there will be violence, and sad things will happen. Please be aware if you choose to proceed. I post this warning only because of the typically innocent/playful nature of the source material. (No this will not be like Cupcakes at all.)

If you like what I'm doing here, please let me know! I appreciate feedback and comments, whether they be a friendly review, an email to my gmail: , or drop me a line on aim: FrostedLights. I'm friendly and do not bite.

Also, I'm soon to start on a new project. Sort of a Mythbusters meets MLP type of thing I'm doing with a friend. But wait there's more! We decided it would be fun to gather myths from other pony fans. So if you have a myth in mind, please drop me a line at . Please submit your myths, but of course we can't guarantee that we'll do every one we get. We prefer myths to be Equestrian themed in some way but this is not necessary.


End file.
